Amazon to invest USD 1.3 bn in its French operations + China hands over operations of Chinese-built railway to Ethiopia, Djibouti

Amazon will pour USD 1.3 bn (EUR 1.2 bn) worth of investments into its French operations, according to a press release. The investment will go towards expanding Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure in the Paris region to bolster France’s growing generative AI potential, alongside enhancing logistics infrastructure in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to accelerate delivery times and to boost sustainability in deliveries. The initiative will reduce carbon emissions and create some 3k jobs in France, according to the statement. The initiatives are part of a EUR 6 bn 15-year investment plan that looks to meet the surging demand for AWS services in France.

Ethiopia + Djibouti handed management of Chinese-built railway: Chinese rail operators have handed over the management and operation of the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway to local operators after six years of operating the Chinese-built railway, Xinhua reports. The 752 km electrified transnational railway is a key trade link between Ethiopia and Djibouti, hauling a cargo of around 9.5 mn tonnes and operating 7.7k freight train journeys over the last six years, the outlet says. The railway was built and maintained by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation in partnership with China Railway Engineering Corporation.

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• SGL + Hapag-Lloyd sign biofuel agreement: Denmark-based Scan Global Logistics (SGL) has partnered up with Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd to incorporate biofuels into their shipping activities. (Statement)